Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to corrosion and Electromagnetic effects (EME) protection for mechanical fasteners and more particularly to cap seals molded directly onto fastener heads using in-situ injection molding of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compounds in a tip mold.
Background
Construction of aircraft and other mechanical systems require numerous fasteners for structural assembly. In many cases the exposed portion of the installed fasteners must be protected from corrosion, to seal the fuel barrier or provided with supplemental electromagnetic effects (EME) protection. In current composite aircraft structures, individual protection caps are molded and then installed over a locking collar or similar exposed element with a sealing adhesive. This process is time consuming, cost intensive and requires multiple inspection points.
It is therefore desirable to provide a method for corrosion and EME protection of installed fasteners in-situ.